Derry courting couple breach covid restrictions at Donegal heritage site
Defendant ordered to pay €150 to charity
A courting couple were caught in the middle of a romantic rendezvous at an ancient Donegal heritage site while level 5 Covid-19 restrictions were in place.
Gardaí arrived at the Grianán of Aileach ringfort at 2.30am on February 27, 2021.
Jamie McLaughlin, a 27-year-old from The Meadows, Derry, told Gardaí that he was ‘out for a walk’ with a female friend when questioned at the ancient hilltop fort.
Solicitor for McLaughlin, Mr Ciaran Mac Lochlainn, said his client was unaware of the level of Covid-19 restrictions that were in place in the Republic of Ireland.
“That night, he drove to An Grianán fort and it was more than a walk involved,” Mr Mac Lochlainn told Buncrana District Court.
“They were surprised when Gardaí arrived when they were in the position they were in.”
Mr Mac Lochlainn said his client, a chef, is a 27-year-old father-of-one. McLaughlin was before the court for breaching the Covid-19 restrictions.
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham asked that McLaughlin make a €150 donation to the Buncrana branch of St Vincent de Paul.